Wednesday, June 4, 2008

E break Convenant?

It is a fact that the education standard in Nigeria has dropped from what it used to be when our parents went to school especially in our tertiary institutions. Every year we churn out half-baked university graduates who cannot defend their course of study. You find graduates of Mass communication who cannot define the term-Mass communication, its sad really!

With the decline of education standards in our government and state owned tertiary institutions came the advent of Private Universities. The Private Universities claim to produce better graduates who are well grounded in their chosen courses. I dont know how true this is because recently we took a youth corp member in the company where i work. She is a Mass Communication graduate from one of the private universities in the country but I was surprised to learn from her that in her four years of study, she never studied Advertising as a course. I went to a state university in my time(Oh my, I sound old!) and i remember that we studied each of the four major aspects of Mass Communication-Journalism, Advertising, Public Relations and Broadcasting. We studied each one of them as a course and in final year, our research project was on either one of these four aspects of Mass Communication.

So you see why i was surprised when she (the youth corp member)-a graduate of mass communication said she didn’t study advertising in school. I began to wonder if these Private Universities are really worth all the plenty money they demand from hapless parents/students. Their fees are so exorbitant that it’s only a few that can afford it. I don’t even mind if at the end of the day, they deliver on what they promise and give the students a well-rounded education but a situation whereby they charge crazy fees and yet churn out half-baked students is not good at all. Not for our students, not for our country! There is a saying that ‘half education is worse than ignorance’. I think i agree with that saying very much.

Anyway, something else that has come to my knowledge recently is the rate at which students are expelled/suspended from some of these Private Universities. One of these Private Universities-a christian University located in Ota, Ogun State(I wont call names) seems to be leading the pack in the suspension/expulsion craze. I hear you can even get suspended for not brushing your teeth to lectures(lol!I kid!) but seriously now, people get suspended and not one week, two weeks suspension o, am talking a whole year suspension for the craziest things! Don’t even mention school fees refund, you forfeit a whole session’s fees which is not ‘small money’ o!

Last week, i was talking a friend whose girlfriend was recently suspended from that Private University located at Ota. He was telling me why she was suspended from school for a year. So it turns out that his girlfriend was returning to school after spending the weekend at home and before she was let into the school premises, her stuff was searched by the security guys and they discovered that she had a mobile phone in her bag. Now, mobile phones are prohibited in that school but students will be students, some of them still find a way to sneak in their phones into the school and our dear young lady was one of those. Unfortunately for her she was caught and while going through the phone, some pictures of her roommates in school were discovered. These girls were also implicated because it meant that they too were in the know about the phone. At the end of the day, the girl who was caught with the phone in her bag and her roommates whose own share of the crime was having their photos in the phone were all suspended from school for one year. Their parents had just managed to cough out the almost half a million Naira they pay as session fees only to have their children sent home for compulsory one year holiday,lol!

Okay so yesterday, my brother was also gisting me about his boss’s son who also attends this Private University located at Ota. According to him, the boy was recently suspended from school for a year too. What did he do? He didn’t bring his bible to church! Unfortunately for him, the G.O(General Overseer) came visiting that day and decided to find out how many of them come with their bible to church. Those that didn’t come with theirs were given automatic one year suspension! His boss’s son was one of the unlucky ones. His daughter who attends the same university would have joined the suspended crew too but she was sharp enough to raise her purse which looked like a bible and thereby escaped being sent home for a year.

Now the man(my brother’s boss) is sad. He had only just stretched his pocket thin to pay this session’s fees for his kids and now one of them has been sent home for a year without refund of the fees he paid(I know the refund is not the man’s problem but the thing dey vex me jare, if you have to send them home, send them home with their money abeg! lol!). He has gone to plead for his son but was told by the best they can do for him is to let him appeal for a reduction in the time the boy would spend at home from 1 year to 6months.

I do not support that people should not be punished when they do something wrong but i believe there are levels of punishment for different offences. I just feel that suspending a student for one year because he failed to bring his bible to church is rather too harsh or what do you think?

Abi e break convenant?

On a lighter note. Some jokes to make you laugh.

THE RUNNING BOY

One day there were two boys playing by a stream when they stumbled upon a naked woman frolicking in the water. After a few moments one of the boys turned and ran away.

The first boy couldn't understand why he ran away so he took off after his friend.

Finally, he caught up to him and asked,"It was interesting man, why did you run away?"

The other boy replied, "My Mom told me if I ever saw a naked lady I would turn to stone, and I felt something turning to stone, so I ran."

A husband and wife were celebrating their 50th anniversary. That night the wife approached her husband wearing the exact same sexy negligee she had worn on their wedding night. She looked at her husband and said, "Honey, do you remember this?"He looked up at her and said, "Yes dear, I do. You wore that same negligee the night we were married."She said, "That's right. Do you remember what you said to me that night?"He nodded and said, "Yes dear, I still remember.""Well, what was it?" she asked.He responded, "As I remember, I said, 'Oh baby, I'm going to suck the life out of those big breasts and screw your brains out.'"She giggled and said, "Yes honey, that's exactly what you said. So, now its 50 years later, and I'm in the same negligee I wore that night. What do you have to say tonight?"Again he looked up at her, and he replied, "Well, mission accomplished."

Ah 'that OTA university'. Can someone say, 'overkill? I used to laugh when the students would console themselves with the fact that they have nice buildings and spacious rooms. I rather bunk up with the 4-6 roommates I had all through my private uni life than continuosly look over my shoulder everytime I so much as sneezed.

Let me go and tantalize my senses by reading this post. Education standards are reducing drastically in Nigeria, hence the growth of private universities...but I only read the beginning...let me go and finish, brb! How have u been?

I'm way too americanized to make a rationale comment on this post. Middle School kids have cell phones (they just have to turn it off while in class) not to talk of someone in college...I'm leaving now...I have absolutely nothing nice to say about those so called rules

This sooooo called school in OTA...that we aren't calling its name..lol...men the stories i have heard about the suspension thing...their rules are just so ludacris. esp cause your talking about grown up people...its times like this am happy I live in North America!!..woohoo!!!

I attended a Federal School and at that time, school was school. I met a lady who coincidentally finished from my alma...come and hear grammer. I just could'nt beleive she was a product. Just speaking rubbish and calling it English. You know that type of is to the was Engrisssh. It's a pity!

Private schools...hmmm what can I say? Its the school fees that baffle me the most. How can I cough out that kind of money and hear that my daughter has been suspended (for a year o) for not coming to church with her bible? My first mad move would be on that child...my next crazy move would be to the Ministry of Education. That school MUST close down. I'm not joking.

How you dey jare? Saw ya at the Palms...abi whats dat place called(lol)

@darkel, she doesn't seem to be that type, the babe is quite intelligent so i dont think she's lying about not studying advertising in Uni.Govt. Uni would have been the best if they upp the stardards a little bit.

@onydchic, u definitely have some underlying beef babes,lol!

@jaycee, not back yet?

@30+, i dont know why o, maybe to stop the students from contacting their boyfriends/girlfriends,lol!

@abby, i feel the 1 year suspension thing is just too much too.

@bumight, did i call names? (innocent look. I agree if the public unis were in a better shape we wont have to put up with the Private Unis and their ish.

@soloD, me i no understand that kain 'rule of law'o! The non-refund thing is so unfair really and if they think cos its their school, they can act the way they like then maybe, just maybe we need to start looking for alternatives o!

@obi, another degree in Ota? I wouldn't dare,lol!

@oluwadee, lol@approving religious institutions and calling them Uni. I wonder what's up with all the churches wanting to own universities too.Is it the money? Cos i dont see them instilling any moral values the way they go.

@abbie, America is very liberated so we cant even compare them to Naija. However this only happens in the Private Unis in naija, the Public ones are more liberal on such issues.

@ms.o, lol@ludacris rule. I learnt a new word today-Ludacris,lol!

@mommy, i believe the UNI plays a minor role in how people turn out. the primary & Secondary schools also play a major role. lol@that ur crazy moves o,giving u a new name-ACTION LADY!!

Well concerning the school in ota the chancellor would say 'we didnt apply to anybody to come to this school, you applied to us therefore you have to live by our rules' the truth in itself is for anybody that wakes up to decide to go to a private university you have to be ready to dance to the tune.

Bloggers it is a manner of orientation most of our parents are difficult but we still manage them therefore if one individual decides to play hardball with a group of people for four years then dem gast take am be that. Human beings can survive anywhere.

princesa about the youth corper that said she wasn't thought advertising na because say she no dey class or she done deaf.its impossible for you to do a course like mass comm and not be taught advertising.

well i went to a private university, got my degree with no suspension or expulsion wahala and you all still no am a bad ass.

Lol..I studied economics in school, ur post reminded me of something that happened..we had to pick electives from other departments and I picked The history of the mass media only to fail woefully…That was the last time I looked at Mass com anyhow…

I also went to a state Uni and something tells me I would have been the first to be expelled if I had gone to any of those private unis…

If you are suspended for a year for not carrying a bible to church what happens if you are caught with man that is not errrm related???

as in this is just stupid, ridiculous and stupid again..FUCK...what kind of christianity are they practising for real..How can you not let students use their cell phones..are they still in secondary school..I know a few people who go to Covenant university and they are always complaning..im so glad my parents did not take me ther e..i would have been expelled a long time again...sheesh..talk about over do

OMG! This is the highest level of religious fanatism! I mean send a child home for not coming to church with his bible? Please did you say that happened in a school community or in the church? peradventure it was a seminary! I doubt if that was a school. This is highly ridiculous! In this age and time, suspending students for using a mobile phone???

If I may ask,what kind of graduate are the breeding? What kind of certificate do they give? I guess it must have a heavenly seal on it that would grant the bearer a good job at the end of the day and a ticket to heaven!lol!

*You are spot on with your observations about private universities.*My cousin and I are about the same age, are in the same level of university and have the same major. Whenver I come home on holidays and I discuss things that pertain to our major-she has no clue half the time! And she makes good grades...*This has been the case with several of my friends who go to these private universities. It would make sense if they were the government universities to a certain extent-but after paying hundreds of thousands of naira in the name of private universities, there is much to b desired.

Gees...I cant belive am seething. Do these private institutions know what education really is or how dificult it is to come up with over 200k in Nigeria. And what is the judiciary system doing there? Why cant they go and battle it out in the courts? Dont they have regulations that govern these schools.

Oh please tell me you made up that story about the boy who was suspended for a year for not bringing his bible to the university. How could these so called universities become a Government to themselves?

I think its repression, what Covenant University is doing. However, they are a private university and are entitled to do whatever they want. Quite literally.If you decide to go there, you must live by their rules.Same thing happens in some private universities in the US.

The education system in our country is overused and underfunded. Facilities and reading materials are outdated. The faculty is no where near the same standard as their counterparts in other countries. They are not even motivated to try and upgrade their qualifications because there are no incentives for them to do so. I mean, we have more people with doctorate degrees who never even saw the inside of a lecture hall than those who wrote dissertations and phd theses.

Some very bright person's solution to all this has been to increase the number of substandard institutions by relegating our youth back to the status of toddlers. Take away their freedoms, rights of expression and interraction, ram some religious texts down their throats and extort from their parents the fees to enable all that to happen.

Parents will pay imagining that they are buying a better learning environment for their kids when infact the government institutions upon their initial establishment sought to compete against their international counterparts and thus the system under which they run (when effective)is the most appropriate avenue for the growing mind of the youth.

I always knew Convenant and co where a bunch of useless institutions. I have this theory that the minds behind them are the ones responsible for the decline of the others. I mean, someone is profiting seriously from our failed educational system.

u can only force a horse to the stream u cant force it to drink...even d almighty God does not force man,he gives us liberty n rights to choose so y should an institution apply harsh measures in other to teach "moral values"

i have heard so much abt those private schools!but u know hwat they didnt force anyone to go there...If u want 4 years of uniterrupted education then be ready to follow the rules!!!but really the punishment do not match up to the offences

I have no link whatsoever to the university in Ota, but will a school really suspend someone for a whole year for using a mobile phone or not bringing a bible to church?

if this was really done, what have the parents done? have they tried to seek redress from relevant authorities (governing council, court) etc. if they haven't done anything, are they not contributing to the problem at hand? Unless of course, the governing laws of the school stipulated this is the punishment to be meted out for such an offence, in which case the parents hands are tied cos by placing their child in the school, they had assented to the laws..

eyah feel for the youth corper..guess ud have to teach him/her the ropes then..find some of the university happenings hard to believe..i'm sure the GO takes his phone to church so whats the big deal in letting students do same?

u lost me with the girly gist about momsie though..dont know all this foundation stuff yet..lol

anyways have a good weekend, and a summer reunion seems a good idea. although it might erode our anonymity.

Question:a) is the issue really how expensive these schools are?b) the half baked student?c) the suspension/e`xpulsion rate?

You hit the nail on the head about the reason that these schools exist and they exist because many profs in public university in Nigeria really do not give a bat's booty about their students, they only want to get paid, many don't go to classes, with the consistent strikes that take place in universities in Nigeria, why bother really?

My bro graduated from a private university and he wasn't one of their best, he just took an exam which test certain competencies and basically tested him on the same level as the global audience and he passed really well. He did so well because he had teachers who were concerned about teaching, he had equipments to work and he was in a school that ENCOURAGED learning.

People pay for private education because they know that they will get committed teachers who are willing to teach, they will get structured and uninterupted education something that public universities in Nigeria can't provide.

That Daft girlfrom that private university didn't go to class ! She was one of those who went to school to play with time.

Expulsion rates: The average Nigerian student feels that they can do what they want, money can get them in and out, rules are meant to be broken and these private schools ensure that students understand that there are STANDARDS of acceptable and un acceptable behavior if you choose to follow their rules, you pay and stay, if you don't, you pay and be expelled or suspended.

I honestly never subscribe to these half baked graduate thing people talk about, a student that takes his Q stick to school every morning and doesnt even know where his class is will we blame that on the standard of education or is it a girl that is meant to be in school at Nsuka but branches to port hacourt till the semester is almost ended and comes out not even knowing what her matric number is, do we blame that on standard of education. Any half baked crook is responsible for what he has become.

What these private schools are doing is denying young guys n gals a social life which is an essential part of Uni education. I done talk too much